Former Ravens LB Zach Orr says doctors have approved return to NFL

The reason behind former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Zach Orr’s abrupt retirement in January sounded dire: a congenital spinal issue he said put him “at increased risk…for a fatality or being paralyzed.”

Over the last several months, Orr sought out more medical opinions on the vertebra near the top of his spine that hadn’t formed completely and, on Wednesday, declared himself ready to return to the NFL.

Orr, 25, Orr was signed as an undrafted free agent out of North Texas by the Ravens three years ago and worked his way into being a cog in the team’s defense. He was a second-team All-Pro in selection last season.